Applejack watched as a golden aura picked up Twilight from the floor and floated the unicorn towards the princess. “My poor Twilight,” she murmured as she engulfed the shocked unicorn into a feathery embrace. Celestia nuzzled her and settled on the ground between her legs.

“Pri-Princess, I did it,” Twilight could be heard saying. “I found a solution.”

The princess shook her head. “I heard your explanation, Twilight. While it solves the problem for now, the effect will soon fade.” Celestia’s gaze landed on Melody, who looked back with wide-eyed wonder. Right, she had never seen the princess before, Applejack remembered. “Miss Williams over there is a very special case. Her body isn’t used to magic and so it doesn’t filter out foreign magic. Her body doesn’t know how. Your body, my student, will filter out the magic of your friends with time. And no, while a steady stream of foreign magic would maintain the effect, it would also make you very ill over time. I believe I’ve taught you all about that.” Twilight nodded weakly.

“Star Swirl’s eighth theorem on magic. The body considers all outside magic hostile. It filters out magic not his own over time. That’s why body enchantments don’t last,” Twilight recited dully, her gaze focused on something that seemed invisible to everyone. “In conclusion, his ninth theorem states that all transformations will eventually revert if not upheld by the transformed himself. To transform a body costs more magic than anypony regenerates, thus a transformation can only be prolonged. How… How could I forget…?” Twilight’s voice cracked at the end as her tears began to freely fall, and Applejack couldn’t sit still any longer. She rushed over to her friend as the princess engulfed her as well in her wings. Rarity, too, it seemed; the white unicorn was hugging her friend for all she was worth.

For a moment, they just hugged as their friend cried in their embrace. Applejack never knew. How should she? Twilight had never told anypony of her ailment. It hurt even to think about. It wounded her as a mare and as her friend. At least now she knew why Twilight had been so fixated on Melody. She didn’t love her, at least not in that way. She hoped Melody would be her ticket to one day having foals of her own. If Applejack herself had suffered from something like that, she also would pay anything for a cure.

The sobbing started to ebb, and Applejack opened her eyes again. Celestia was still on the ground and shielded the group of friends with her large white wings from the rest of the world. “Do you feel any better, Twilight?” she asked gently. Rarity also released the unicorn, who nodded. “Then let’s join Spike and Miss Williams in the kitchen. I think the tea should be ready by now.”

Applejack hadn’t even noticed that Melody had left. They did as the princess suggested and entered the kitchen. “Hey, everyone,” Melody greeted them softly, Spike having occupied the enviable space on her lap. “There’s chamomile tea. Honey and sugar are over there.” She pointed at two pots on the table.

“Hey, Rarity!” Spike waved at them. He jumped from Melody’s lap and took the white unicorn’s hoof. “Let me lead you to your place, milady.”

“Why, Spike, how noble of you.” He led Rarity to one of the free spots at the table and pulled out a pillow under the table with his feet. “Thank you, Spikey-Wikey.” Melody giggled and Applejack rolled her eyes a little.

Twilight also walked over to the table and did the same as Spike, just with her magic. “Princess?” Celestia thanked Twilight with a little nuzzle and took her seat as well. Twilight sat next to her and Applejack decided to take the last free spot between Melody and Rarity.

In the next few minutes, they had all added sugar or honey to their tea and taken a few sips. The sadness and crying had all made them thirsty and the warm brew hit just the right spot. “So, Princess, why’re you here, if you don’t mind me asking,” Applejack picked up the conversation again. “I mean, it was right convenient that you did, but uhm…”

“That would be my doing, darling,” Rarity pitched in. “I took a train this morning to Canterlot to speak with her Majesty.”

“This isn’t about Melody, isn’t it?” Applejack thought all of that was behind them.

“Well,” Rarity started and paused again for a moment. “Yes and no. Oh, I feel so terrible now.” She took another sip at her tea. “You must understand, Applejack, I was merely concerned for Twilight. Something didn’t add up, and I had to be sure.”

“What didn’t add up?” Melody asked Rarity.

“First, I want to apologize to you as well, darling. I wasn’t fair to you, and for that I’m sorry. You see, when Twilight tried to tell me that the Crown was paying for all of your clothing, she also said it paid her for your salary. So, when the money for the clothes came from Twilight’s personal bank account, I was a bit perplexed. I know how the Crown handles payments. Because of taxation, they would pay you directly, or myself in that case, not through Twilight.”

“So what does that mean?” Melody asked Twilight, who was attempting to disappear under the table, it seemed.

“She paid not only for your clothes, Miss Williams, but also your salary,” Celestia said. “There never was a Crown contract. Twilight asked me to fund her research, but I declined.”

“What?” Applejack jumped on her hooves. “Why wouldn’t you fund something important like that, Princess?”

“Because I know the results.” Well, that answer Applejack hadn’t expected.

Twilight also looked at Celestia, intrigue replacing the mortification she had felt. “Wait, what are you saying, Princess?”

“Miss Williams over there isn’t the first human to ever arrive to Equestria, to our world. In fact, there were several before her. I met some of them in my time; one was even very close to me. Her name was Megan. I don’t know if she was the first, but she was the first one I ever met. She was my foal sitter.” Applejack blinked. That was a lot to take in. She didn’t want to imagine what this revelation had to mean for Melody. The woman looked dazed, and the cup in her hand had fell onto the table, spilling what little tea that was left. “She sadly died long before her time. However, other humans did not, and they have left their mark on our world. I know you’ve met one of humanity’s descendants only recently.”

Rarity sputtered. “You can’t possibly mean that ruffian Iron Will? The minotaurs?”

Celestia nodded. “The minotaurs weren’t around a few thousand years ago. I don’t know when they came into existence, but the deity they pay homage to is known as ‘The Father’. If you will look up pictures of him in your library, Twilight, you will find his liking to resemble Miss Melody quite remarkably.”

“You knew I was here!” Melody suddenly exclaimed. “You never thought I had a right to know about something like this?” Her hand rested on the table as she stood and watched Celestia in the eyes. Apple noted that they were shaking terribly.

“I am very sorry about that, Miss Williams, but I didn’t want to interfere.” The princess didn’t seem to talk umbrage at the accusation levied against her.

“Interfere with what?”

“You leaving your mark.” The woman’s eyes widened, and she brought one of her hands over her stomach. Celestia nodded with a smile. “If I had told you anything, it would have altered your decision. Perhaps for the better, perhaps not. However, I wanted you to live your life as unburdened as possible.”

“But now that I’m already pregnant, that’s out of the window,” Melody continued for her.

“Yes. I also would have visited you earlier, but it was only this morning that I was informed of your condition by Miss Rarity. I also would like you to visit me in Canterlot, at your own convenience. A human left a letter in my care for the next one to arrive, together with her journals. She wanted me to give it to the next one when I deemed it would benefit him or her. You don’t have to, of course.”

Melody sat down again and picked up her cup. “What was her name?”

“She was a very charming woman by the name of Amelia Earhart.”

“Airheart?” Twilight asked. “The Airheart? The one who wrote over ten books on pegasi flying techniques and flight itself? The one who is responsible that we have hot air balloons and airships?”

“The very same,” Celestia confirmed.

“Can I see her journals as well?” The unicorn looked up to Celestia with pleading eyes, but the princess shook her head.

“They don’t belong to me. They are, as of this moment, the property of Miss Williams. You will have to ask her, my faithful student.” Twilight’s head swivelled towards Melody, but Celestia turned it back gently towards her with a wing. “We have to talk about something else first. I can’t stop you from employing ponies to help you with your work, Twilight, but I must warn you to not use the name of the Crown again for such purposes. At least not without my permission.”

Twilight lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”

“Just don’t do it again, Twilight.” Celestia sighed. “I really don’t want to punish you for something like that.”

“I promise,” she stated instantly. “Hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

“That should do.” The alicorn nuzzled Twilight again.

“I have a question,” Melody interjected. “Can this magic inside my body hurt me? Or my child for that matter?”

Celestia looked at her as if she had something strange. “On the contrary, Miss Williams. It will help you, aid you, just like a friend would. After all, it comes from your friends, the ponies around you. If you made more friends and spent time with them, you will find that you will benefit even more from it. After all; Friendship is Magic. Maybe you will even be able to cast spells like Megan did. You would have to spend time with more unicorns to do so.” Melody smiled. It was the beautiful smile Applejack liked so much about her. “I believe you’ve already made at least two unicorn friends.”

“Well, of course!” Rarity said instantly. “If you would still have me as a friend, that is.”

“Why wouldn’t I? I couldn’t be luckier to have ponies who looked after their own as you did for Twilight. Also, you know how to make a mean set of clothes. When I have a job again, I’ll come back to you.” That was true, Applejack realized. With Celestia telling Twilight that a human wasn’t her solution, she wouldn’t need Melody any longer. It also meant that Melody could work for her again, a thought that greatly appealed to Applejack. At the same time, she was a bit sad that her marefriend had lost such a good job opportunity.

“I would also like to be your friend, Melody,” Twilight hastily added. “And I’m sorry about the thing with the contract. I tried to read up about humans, but there was nothing! Nothing! I looked up other predator species and all they had in common was that they liked gold and other valuables. So, I tried money and… other things.”

Melody took Twilight’s hoof. “Don’t get me wrong, I like money and jewels just like the next girl, but I took the job because I’m pregnant and needed it more than ever. That reminds me.” Melody picked up her bag from the floor and took out the golden casket of unmentionable worth. “I want you to have this back. If I had known what it meant, I would have never taken it in the first place.”

Twilight took the casket with her hooves and hugged it close to herself like an old friend. “Well, I’m glad this all came to a happy ending.” Celestia rose to her hooves. “Miss Williams, my invitation has no limitation. Visit me in Canterlot whenever you find time in your schedule. Of course, you’re free to bring with you whoever you want. A marefriend maybe?” Applejack’s cheeks decided to turn a little crimson at that. She asked herself how the princess knew. “It would make a good weekend trip, would it not?”

“Thank you, Princess, for everything. Sorry I snapped at you earlier.” Melody also stood up and bowed her head slightly.

“Miss Williams, I understand your frustration with me. Believe me when I say I have the best intentions for all of my subjects. That also includes you. I would never willingly bring physical or psychological harm to you or anyone if I can help it. If you ever need help, I hold court from ten to four in the afternoon from Monday to Friday. Saturdays only with an appointment,” she added with a wink. “But for now, I must give my farewells. If you could do me a favour, please bring Twilight to her bed.”

Applejack looked over the table. Twilight was fast asleep, her head resting on the golden casket. She was mumbling something. “Sure thing, Princess,” Spike said and saluted.

“I knew I could count on you, Spike.” Her horn ignited, and with a silent flash of light, the princess was gone.

“There we are, looking for a bearded old man and in reality, it’s a winged unicorn with a rainbow mane,” Melody said with a giggle. “How about we start cleaning the library?”

Before anyone comments on it: Celestia said foreign magic could make a pony ill if exposed over a long period of time. Thats because it tries to filter it out, but gets confused if it doesn't work. The body making itself ill, the magic does not. With Melody lacking a magic filter in her body and doesn't have magic of her own, she gets the profit. Maybe some will get the hint. Absorbing magic. *Hint* *Hint*

Also yes, the princess knew about Twilights plight, but not because she told her. You notice when your live-in student doesn't get into heat or tries to smuggle in stallions like the one before. Bad Sunset! No snu-snu in the library!

Thanks to JBL for editing this chapter.